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ebrary, a ProQuest business and provider of ebooks and research technology, announced that the results of its survey of more than 1,000 librarians regarding ebook mobile and offline access is now publicly available online. Anyone may register to receive the full results along with a paper authored by Allen McKiel, Ph.D. and dean of Library Services at Western Oregon University, at http://www.tfaforms.com/222151.

Among other key findings, the survey revealed that 92% of librarians find providing offline access to ebooks more or equally important than providing online access. “Librarians in this survey clearly reflect a view of the critical nature of portability to the future of ebooks,” wrote McKiel. “The clear preference for offline mobile access has its roots in the experience of reading a print book. In order for the experience of reading an ebook to be as satisfying as reading a print book it must at least provide similar ease of use. The two simplest expectations are portability and usability. You need to be able to hold it comfortably, turn the page, and find things in the book. Tablets are getting better and better at providing the basics for the reading experience. They also provide the additional benefit of providing access to a portable library.”

ebrary recently launched download capabilities and will soon announce a dedicated mobile app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Learn more by joining ebrary’s events at ALA Midwinter, Jan. 20-24 in Dallas, Texas. For a schedule of events and to RSVP, visit www.ebrary.com/corp/events.jsp.